


purple, orange, red

by Noa



Series: Three's a crowd. [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Cousin Incest, F/M, Gen, Incest, M/M, Polyamory, Slice of Life, Twincest, happy birthday kathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 15:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/993588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noa/pseuds/Noa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This Summer, Dirk's parents decide to see the world, and Dirk gets sent to stay with his twin cousins Rose and Dave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	purple, orange, red

**Author's Note:**

  * For [garbagecollector](https://archiveofourown.org/users/garbagecollector/gifts).



> (as per request, the twins are written to have auburn hair)
> 
> happy birthday my long lost twin, heres to many, many more!

They’d always been close, even for twins. They played house in elementary school, and staged their wedding at home, with several rows of knitted plush animals and smuppets as their guests. As they grew up, and their interests drifted apart, they simply found a way to stay in each other’s company instead of seeking out new friends. Dave asked for headphones so he could mix his music without bothering Rose as she read, and Rose made sure that her yarn never got tangled with the wires of Dave’s game console. Dave made her mix tapes, Rose knitted him cozies (despite his insistence that nothing needs cozies; the word cozy was a goddamn adjective).

When they turned twelve, they were gently made to sleep in separate rooms. No matter how many times, or in how many different ways their parents tried to explain it to them, the twins just couldn’t understand. Dave cried every night for two weeks straight, where Rose simply refused to go to sleep at all. Desperate, their parents ended up getting them a set of walkie-talkies, and they’ve slept soundly since.

They were a unit, they’ve always been. A bit intimidating to approach, but quick to make friends if they set their minds to it. Because of that, no teacher has ever pointed to their closeness as a problem (most just found it endearing). Not even attending school dances together managed to raise suspicion; people just assumed they hadn’t been able to find a date. In reality, Dave was too busy glaring at Rose’s suitors to notice the ones who got flustered in his presence.

That’s when things started to evolve between them. At first, Dave was certain the strange feelings in his stomach came from the need to keep Rose safe. One day, when they were 14, he found Rose kissing a girl behind the bicycle shed. He’d promptly stormed up, grabbed her hand, and dragged her away (Rose explained she’d just been curious, and Dave thought that was ok, but he still didn’t like it, so Rose said she wouldn’t do it again). Whenever Rose got cold, she wore Dave’s jacket, and at night she slept in his shirts. Dave hasn’t ever found someone who wears his clothes better than she does.

Both of them knew they weren’t supposed to sleep together anymore, but when it stormed at night, they’d find each other’s bed with quick, tiptoed steps. Rose learned that whenever Dave held her, the nightmares stayed away, and Dave learned that seeing Rose sleeping made him feel different than it did before.

A few weeks before their 15th birthday, Rose was hanging out in Dave’s room, knitting by his bed with her back against the radiator. She shared earphones with Dave, who sat beside her, and tapped beats on his knees as they listened to music. Rose mentioned their upcoming birthday, to which Dave replied that they were getting old. They walked down memory lane together, talking about the past with a certain melancholy and longing. When Rose leant against him, and Dave wrapped his arm around her, it wasn’t strange to either of them. When he touched his forehead to hers, and she placed a careful hand on his shoulder, it felt a bit stranger than either of them remembered.

Rose often asked Dave how he felt during their first kiss. Dave told her he felt like he was going to die, his heartbeat between nonexistent and doing overtime. Whenever Dave returned the question, Rose said she didn’t know. It just felt right. On their fifteenth birthday, late at night when the visitors had left and their parents were asleep, they talked quietly for hours. By the time morning came, they’d sworn several oaths never to tell, and even more never to stop. Over a year has passed since then, and they have both yet to break any promise they made that night. (Neither of them has the intention to do so.)

Spring was coming to an end. The air around them became hotter, pleated skirts and sleeves of shirts were getting shorter with the day. More and more time was spent daydreaming instead of listening to lectures, more and more lunches were had outside. Classmates spoke of travelling, and swimming by the sea; of exchanging phone numbers to stay in touch (even though they’d never be).

Dave stared at his twin sister during math. She sat two rows ahead of him, three desks to the left. Her short, auburn hair would have masked her delicate face from Dave’s view, if she didn’t wear a black headband to hold it back (Dave had given it to her for Valentine’s Day; she hardly ever wore her other ones anymore). Rose was writing, and any other person would have assumed she was taking lecture notes, but Dave knew her better than that. The pending Summer holidays had taken their toll on Rose’s concentration as well, and her mind was filled with stories yet untold, which she tried to get on paper whenever the opportunity arose. Dave glanced around the classroom to make sure no one was watching him, and fished his phone out of his pocket.

TG: hey

He watches her carefully as her hand pauses, and she looks over her shoulder to meet his ruby eyes as she gets out her cellphone. He feels an odd satisfaction at Rose’s certainty that Dave’s the reason her phone lit up.

TT: Shouldn’t your attentions be focused elsewhere?  
TG: wow rude  
TG: i was just gonna ask if you had plans this afternoon

He sees her smiling at the small screen, and her slender fingers move quickly across the buttons.

TT: Why, Dave, are you asking me out?  
TG: maybe i am  
TT: You undoubtedly realize we have Biology until four.  
TT: Is this a ploy to rope me into skipping class with you again?  
TG: whoa wait a minute what do you mean again  
TG: that happened once  
TG: ok maybe twice  
TT: Neither of those numbers are even remotely accurate.  
TT: How you manage to consistently ace math remains a mystery.  
TG: im gifted

Rose actually chuckles, one of her hands coming up to cover her mouth. Dave isn’t sure if he feels comfortable with her reason for laughing. His phone buzzes.

TT: Of course. How could I forget.  
TG: im hurt  
TT: Sincerest apologies.  
TG: no im not convinced  
TG: skip bio with me and ill think about it  
TT: You drive a hard bargain, Dave.  
TG: is that a yes

She doesn’t reply, but she glances over her shoulder again, and the look in her deep purple eyes says enough. Dave puts his phone away, and makes an effort to pretend he’s paying attention.

They sneak out of the school building by the fire escape. Rose shakes her head in disapproval, as Dave holds out his hand to help her down the final few steps.

“We’re sixteen, Dave. The window in which we could acceptably hold hands as brother and sister has long since passed.” She sounds playful, but despite her words, she takes his hand. Dave grins, and pulls her in. He finds it hard to make a counter argument with her soft lips pressed to his.

+

They are lounging by the lockers during lunch break. It’s the final week of school, and even the teachers are getting impatient to shut the place down. Rose has been texting all day, and Dave knows it’s not to him, because his inbox has been unusually empty. He tries to sneak glances at her phone, but he can’t make out the words, nor their recipient.

“Who’ve you been texting?” He ends up asking. She doesn’t look up at him.  
“Hold please.” Her fingers work quickly as she finishes her text, and as soon as she presses send, she turns to face Dave. “Dirk, our cousin. He’s been sporadically present at family reunions, I’m certain you’ve seen him before.”  
Dave sniffs as if he’s smelling something bad. “Yeah, sure I’ve seen him. Didn’t know you had his number.”  
Rose raises an eyebrow at him.  
“I do. We exchanged numbers the last Christmas reunion. I recall asking you if you were interested, as well.”  
Dave averts his eyes, and crosses his arms in front of his chest.  
“What does he want?”  
“He’ll be visiting us soon.” She answers. Dave looks up at this, surprised. Rose elaborates. “He doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter. His parents are setting out on a rather lengthy cruise, and he’s being deposited at our home.”

“Cool.” Dave mutters, and Rose smiles apologetically.  
“I’m sure you’ll get along.”  
Dave waves his hand dismissively. “Yeah, whatever. Hey wanna go outside or something?”  
Rose frowns. “Lunch break ends in five minutes, Dave.”  
“All the more reason to leave now.”  
“You’re truly incredible.”  
“I know.” He says, pushing himself away from the lockers. “You coming or not?”  
She sighs, brushes down her skirt, and follows him outside. The teacher is too bored with his work to notice they slip into class five minutes late.

TT: I’m sorry about that. My brother demanded my attention.  
TT: It’s cool. Have you told Dave yet?  
TT: Yes.  
TT: How’d that go.  
TT: He’s anticipating your arrival.  
TT: Seriously?

Rose glances at Dave. They are hauled up in his room again, pretending to help each other with their final essays. Instead, Dave is draped over his desk, lazily scribbling something that looks like a comic. His headphones are sliding off his ears, and Rose smiles quietly from behind her book.

TT: Would I lie to you?  
TT: I’ve got to admit I’m somewhat concerned we won’t get along or something. It’s stupid, I know.  
TT: I guess I just don’t know him too well yet.  
TT: It’ll be fine. You two have a lot in common, if only your mutual love for ironic eyewear.  
TT: Yeah, I suppose.  
TT: Anyway, I should continue packing. Got a long trip ahead of me.  
TT: See you next week.  
TT: Until then.

Another dramatically heavy sigh from Dave causes Rose to look up at him. She puts her book aside.

“Were you going to tell me what’s bothering you, or did you plan to just mope around all afternoon.”

Dave huffs, and puts his pencil down. “So this Dirk guy. Do you like him?”

“Yes.” She answers, and Dave huffs again. “He’s a pleasant conversationalist, and he has interesting hobbies.”  
“Oh yeah like what.”  
“Well, he practices sword fighting,” Rose starts. She can see Dave’s face pull into a frown. “He has quite a talent for writing rap lyrics, too.”  
Dave is silent for a few moments. “Is he any good?”  
“Why don’t you ask him yourself? I would be more than happy to provide you with his number.”  
“Nah it’s cool.” Dave answers quickly, and he picks up his pencil to return to his drawing. “Maybe I could give him a few pointers or something. When he gets here.”  
“Perhaps you can.” Rose says, studying Dave with amused eyes.

“Does the thought of Dirk’s company really bother you that much?” Rose asks Dave as she plunges another plate in soapy water. They are doing dishes in the kitchen, their parents watching TV in the living room.  
“I’m not bothered.” Dave says, drying off glasses with particular zeal.  
“You’ve been walking on eggshells since you found I was texting him.” Rose says simply. Dave averts his eyes. “One might assume you are jealous.” She deadpans.  
“What?” Dave sets a dried off glass aside, and looks at his sister. “I’m not jealous.”  
“I never said you were.”  
“God dammit Rose.”

He sighs again, and she tries not to smile as they finish the washing up. Later that evening, when each of them has returned to their own room, Dave paces around for about twenty minutes before he caves, and logs onto Pesterchum.

TG: ok so first things first i am NOT jealous  
TG: and assuming i would be is ridiculous ok so dont  
TG: i mean have you seen the guys facebook profile he is so full of himself oh my god  
TG: and those shades are awful who told him that was ok  
TG: is he even related to us hes so blond it hurts my eyes  
TG: do you think he dyes his hair  
TG: god thats so gay  
TG: rose are you there  
TG: rose  
TT: Hello, Dave.  
TG: hi  
TG: did you know hes two years older than us  
TG: majoring in history  
TG: who majors in history  
TG: like seriously who does that  
TG: and dont get me started on his fashion choices  
TG: band shirts are one thing those can be ironic but mlp swag is not cool man  
TG: not even a little cool like having the ac up too high  
TG: or one of those electronic hand fan things that spray water at your face like youre a goddamn magikarp on dry land  
TG: its not gonna do anything but at least its refreshing  
TG: this isnt like that  
TG: its just a boring lukewarm  
TG: yeah i think that word describes him perfectly  
TG: lukewarm  
TT: Just how much time have you been spending on his Facebook page?  
TG: i skimmed it  
TT: I see.

Behind his computer, Dave lets out a sigh. He closes the multiple Facebook tabs he had open (suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable about them), and instead he browses through the archive of his own blog. He bets Dirk doesn’t have a blog.

It’s not that Dave’s already decided to dislike Dirk. Summers were simply a time in which he and Rose didn’t have to be as careful as they were required to be at school. Dirk’s presence would rob them of their much-desired privacy, and _that’s_ what Dave disliked (though Dirk _does_ seem pretty lame). Rose appears to like Dirk, and while Dave isn’t sure why, knowing this makes him feel uneasy- Dirk may be their cousin, but Dave is Rose’s twin. Being related to Rose does not exclude Dirk from acting as competition to Dave, and if Dave has to be completely honest with himself, Dirk is the first competition he’s actually felt threatened by.

All in all, Dave isn’t too excited about Dirk’s pending visit. He guesses he’ll just have to wait until he gets here, and hope for the best. Maybe his parents will return early from their cruise, and Dirk won’t have to stay too long. Or maybe he’ll just keep to himself all Summer.

Any hope for the latter situation gets violently crushed when the twin’s parents announce Dirk will be staying in Dave’s room. Dave tries to protest, but it’s futile. Ever since Rose and Dave have been split to sleep in separate rooms, the house hasn’t had a guest room available. Dave considered offering to stay in Rose’s room so Dirk could take his, but not only would that be a rather weird alternative in the eyes of his parents, he doesn’t want Dirk rummaging around in his room unmonitored. At least now, he could keep an eye on him. Dave makes a mental note to get out all his taxidermy things; that’d hopefully freak Dirk out enough to keep him from getting any ideas.

Rose spends the final few days until Dirk’s arrival as she would any other, but her unconcerned attitude only adds to Dave’s nervousness. He can’t help but glare at her phone whenever she smiles at it in between typing out messages. Pleasant conversationalist, right. Relishing his last moments of solitude alone in his room, Dave finds a bitter sense of satisfaction in dusting off his organ jars.

Dirk arrives late in the afternoon. Dave ends up opening the door for him, coming face to face with his cousin for the first time in a long while. Dirk stands a bit taller than Dave, carrying a large suitcase and a laptop bag, and Dave just stares at him for a moment. Dirk looks very different from the pictures Dave’s seen. His hair is a shade near-white, and his triangular shades hide the cool orange glow of his eyes. His skin looks like porcelain, pale and flawless- It reminds Dave of Rose. He wonders if it’d feel just as soft.

“Hey.” Dirk says, but Dave remains lost in thought. Rose is quick to pop up behind her twin, and smiles warmly at their visitor.

“Hello Dirk, welcome.” Rose moves past Dave, and kisses each of Dirk’s cheeks in greeting. That rouses Dave from his daydream.  
“Hi.” He says absently, and he steps aside to let Dirk in. Dirk nods, and follows Rose to the living room. Dave goes into the kitchen to get them all drinks, while Dirk catches up with Dave and Rose’s parents. Rose joins Dave in the kitchen, approaching with such soft footsteps that her voice almost startles Dave into dropping a glass.

“And?” She asks, and Dave doesn’t like the smugness in her tone.  
“And what.” He answers, lining up several cups.  
“No first impression? Does he live up to the image you’ve constructed from your lengthy exploration of his social media sites?”  
“I didn’t-” Dave turns to get the apple juice from the fridge, only to find Rose already holding it. He takes it from her with a frown. “Why aren’t you in there anyway.” He nods at the door to the living room. Rose moves a bit closer.  
“I figured my dear brother could use some assistance.” She purrs. Dave glances at the door again before setting the carton of juice down. He sneaks his hands around Rose’s waist. She leans in, and smiles.

“Making use of our final moments of freedom?” Dave asks softly. Rose chuckles, and pecks him on the lips.  
“It won’t be nearly as disastrous as you fear.”  
Dave pulls a face, which Rose remedies with another kiss. From behind the door, their parents ask if they got lost on their way to the fridge. Their mother jokes that Dave is probably drinking all the apple juice himself, and mixed laughter follows. Dave reluctantly lets go of Rose, and the two of them move back into the living room carrying five glasses in total.

As Dirk sits through the obligatory catching up with his aunt and uncle, Dave can’t help but study him closely, eyes narrowed. It’s not until he feels Rose’s gentle hand on his knee that he realizes he’s been outright glaring at his cousin, and Rose shoots Dirk an apologetic smile.

+

To say Dirk feels slightly out of place would be an understatement. He shifts on the couch as he speaks to Rose and Dave’s parents, nodding and smiling at appropriate intervals. He’s doing what he can to be polite and friendly, but all the while, Dave is staring him down like he’s the root of all evil. Not even the two sets of shades between them can keep Dirk from feeling mildly uncomfortable under the gaze of those blood red eyes. He shifts again, and reaches for his drink, hoping to hide behind the glass for a little.

“He likes your choice of sunglasses.” Rose says, and Dirk manages a careful smile in acknowledgement. Rose smiles widely in return, while Dave huffs, and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Dirk sets his glass back down with a tired sigh. Rose looks at him in question, and so do her parents.

“Long trip.” Dirk explains quickly, not wanting to appear rude.  
“Of course,” Rose says, and she places a hand on Dave’s knee. Dirk’s eyes immediately follow her movement. “Dave, I think you should show Dirk where he’ll be sleeping.”  
Dave doesn’t seem to be startled by her rather close touch. He just rolls his eyes and drags himself up from the sofa, giving Dirk no more than a vague signal to follow him.

Dirk follows Dave up the stairs and down the hall, carrying his bags with him, until Dave stops and opens one of the doors. He nods inside, and Dirk steps into the room.

“Home sweet home.” Dave says, and Dirk thinks it’s best if he doesn’t reply. He sets his things down on the mattress next to Dave’s bed, and looks around.  
“Is this your room?” Dirk asks as he takes in his surroundings. Dave’s voice takes on a proud edge.  
“Yeah. Rose sleeps across the hall. You lucked out staying with me, she snores like-”  
“Oh, this I want to hear.”

Dave falls quiet when Rose appears behind him, and Dirk bites back a chuckle. Rose peeks over Dave’s shoulder into his room, and Dirk just stares for a moment- They are stunningly similar, he’d never seen the two of them together like this. It’s almost entrancing, and Dirk has to force himself to look away. He wonders if this is a common thing among twins, or if his cousins just happen to look really damn good. Dirk tries not to think about it.

“Well? Weren’t you about to craft an undoubtedly hilarious metaphor in order to describe my manner of snoring?” Rose teases, and Dave frowns.  
“I forgot what I was gonna say.”  
“Shame.”  
“It’s a goddamn tragedy.”

Even their voices sound harmonious together, and Dirk belatedly realizes he’s been staring again, so he quickly averts his eyes. Instead, he takes another look around the room. It’s nothing like he expected, but at the same time, he can’t imagine it looking any other way. Considering this is where Dave sleeps, the squared space looks an awful lot like a morgue, though. Dead things seem to be everywhere, and while it doesn’t gross Dirk out, it doesn’t exactly make him feel comfortable either. Two clotheslines hanging through the length of the room have a collection of Polaroid pictures hanging from them, and while Dirk can’t make out most of the images, the numerous lens flares are unavoidable to spot. There’s a handful of swords standing in one of the corners, and they all look like crap. Dirk figures they are probably there for decorative purposes (he does remember Rose mentioning that Dave practices strifing, but no one in their right mind would use blades of that quality for anything other than a bad cosplay).

The turntables pique Dirk’s interest, and he makes a mental note to ask Dave about them when his cousin doesn’t seem so eager to punch him in the face. There’s a messily stacked pile of CDs on top of it, and some more in shoe boxes by the side. Dirk wonders what kind of music Dave listens to, and if it’s anything like the stuff he’s got on his iPod.

“Good?” Dave asks, and it takes Dirk a second to realize he’s talking to him. He turns to face Dave, and nods.  
“Yeah. Thanks.”  
“Great.” Dave briefly enters his room, collects one of the swords, and leaves again. He steps past his sister (who is giving him a rather judgmental look), and waves his hand. “I’ll be on the roof.” He announces, and Rose sighs deeply.  
“Try not to hurt yourself.” She says, but Dave ignores her, already halfway up the second set of stairs. A heavy door slams, and Rose looks back to Dirk.

“So.” Dirk starts, and he sits down on the mattress, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I don’t think that could’ve gone any better.”  
Rose laughs delicately, and Dirk can’t help but notice how pretty she looks when she smiles. She moves into Dave’s room, and sits down next to Dirk.  
“He’s just somewhat bitter about having to share his room.” She tells Dirk, who shrugs. Honestly, he’s not too convinced.  
“If you say so. He’s your brother.”  
“Indeed,” Rose replies. She places her hands behind her, and leans back a little to stare up at Dave’s pictures. Dirk finds the look in her eyes to be surprisingly amused, and he can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking. “Indeed.”

Rose stays with Dirk for a while. They chat about school, and the vacation Dirk’s parents are on. When Dave returns after about an hour, his skin is flushed and his hair is messy. Dave shoots a glare at Dirk (who feels strangely guilty for some reason), but when Dave looks at Rose, his expression softens, and he announces he’s going to take a shower. Dave leaves, and Dirk figures Rose must’ve given him some sort of warning with her eyes. He’s glad for her presence, though Dirk hopes he and Dave can learn to get along as well.

+

TG: rose are you up  
TG: rose  
TG: wake up  
TG: did you turn your phone off  
TG: rose i swear to god if you turned your phone off again  
TT: It’s 3am.  
TT: What can possibly be vital enough for you to text me at this hour?  
TG: dirk still isnt sleeping  
TG: hes just lying there doing shit with his phone  
TG: its been like this for three days does he even sleep  
TG: is he even human rose  
TG: what if hes not  
TT: …  
TT: Did you wake me in the middle of the night, just to inform me of our cousin’s sleeping habits?  
TG: no you dont understand  
TG: i cant fall asleep before he does thats lame  
TG: but he just wont go the fuck to sleep  
TG: what do i do  
TT: I am sensing a deeper problem here.  
TT: One that I would be all too willing to explore with you if it wasn’t currently three in the morning.  
TT: Go to sleep, Dave.  
TG: no wait dont leave me  
TG: rose  
TG: rose  
TG: shit

At a far more reasonable hour that morning, Rose gently knocks on the door to Dave’s room, before she opens it. She finds Dirk already dressed, sitting cross-legged on the mattress holding something that looks like a digital tablet in his hands.

“Good morning.” Rose says.  
“Morning.” Dirk replies.  
“Did you sleep well? I hope it’s still bearable on that mattress.” She smiles. “As well as inside this room.”  
Dirk grins to let her know he understands what she’s getting at. “Yeah, don’t worry. It’s cool.”  
“That’s a relief.” Rose smiles. “Dave can be quite an arduous roommate.”

As if Rose’s words had queued it, the both of them look to Dave’s bed. Dave is almost entirely hidden by the covers, and from the sound of his soft breathing, it’s clear that he’s still asleep.

“Were you up late?” Rose asks, remembering Dave’s cry for help last night. She makes a mental note to turn off her phone next time.  
“Dave went KO a bit after three. Hasn’t woken up since.”  
“I see.” Rose seems pensive. “Did you guys talk?”  
“Not a word.” Dirk says regrettably.  
Rose looks at her twin for a bit longer, and then returns her gaze to Dirk.  
“Would you like to join me for breakfast?”  
Dirk nods, and gets up from his makeshift bed.  
“Should we wake him up?” Dirk asks, pointing a single finger at Dave’s sleeping form. Rose shakes her head.  
“Best to let him rest. He’ll come down once he wakes up.”  
Dirk nods again, and follows her downstairs.

When Dave walks into the kitchen twenty minutes later, he looks anything but well-rested. Rose sets down her cup of tea.

“Good morning, Dave.”  
“Don’t speak to me.”

This has already become a routine of sorts. Rose smiles, while Dave approaches the table and sits down with her and Dirk. He looks a bit grumpy, and Rose gently pushes a plate with some pop tarts in her twin’s direction. Dave makes an unintelligible sound of ‘thanks’, and a few moments later, the plate is empty. Rose notices Dirk glancing at Dave as he stretches, arching in his chair with his hands reaching above his head. She’s been noticing Dirk glancing at Dave a lot, recently.

It’s not just Dave he’s looking at. More and more often, Rose seems to find herself under the gentle touch of Dirk’s orange eyes. She’s certain it has something to do with him feeling uncomfortable around Dave (silent cries for help, perhaps), though sometimes he appears to just be staring, and she can’t help but stare back. There’s something about him, something familiar, yet it’s foreign enough to keep her curious. Rose can’t read him, can’t estimate what he’s thinking, not in the way she can with Dave. Being in the dark like this frustrates her a little, but at the same time, it’s oddly exciting. It’s like he’s purposely trying to keep her out of his mind, studying her from behind glass walls, and while Rose has never thought herself to be as competitive as her twin, when she meets Dirk’s shaded gaze she sees a challenge. A strangely attractive challenge.

Rose misses her privacy with Dave a bit more than she originally anticipated. Her brother wears a smug grin when she finds him the moment Dirk leaves for a shower, and part of her feels like slapping it off, but Dave’s arms are welcoming, and his lips are sweet.

“Touchier than usual today.” Dave comments in between kisses. They are side by side on the bed, the door to Dave’s room pushed closed.  
“Am I to take your observation as a complaint?” Rose breathes. Her hands slip under the hem of Dave’s shirt, and travel up his skin like they’re mapping new territory. Dave’s fingers trace up her thigh, and he pulls her into his lap.  
“Hell no.”

Rose smiles against his lips, and Dave takes the opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth. She accepts him, her response almost uncharacteristically greedy, her polished nails raking down Dave’s ribcage. He groans softly, and she gasps when his hands find her chest. Dave buries his face in the crook of Rose’s neck, and inhales the scent of her hair as he languidly mouths at her skin. She tips her head back, and tangles a hand in Dave’s hair to pull him in closer. Their breathing picks up fast, and Rose feels Dave’s speeding heartbeat against her fingertips. It’s too hot for this- even with the blinds drawn and the fan on, the heat between them is dizzying (though it’s not just Summer that’s to blame). Dave whispers that he needs her, kneading at her chest, and Rose is on fire; her nails dig into his skin and she locks her lips to Dave’s with a touch of desperation.

+

Dirk makes a face at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. No cold shower could protect him from a Summer like this. For some reason, he feels that it’s been affecting him more than Rose and Dave (then again, they are probably used to it). He looks at his shirt with a certain sadness, but decides to pull it on anyway. He steps into knee-length shorts, and towels his hair off once more before tossing the towel aside, and leaving the bathroom. It’s not even ten steps from the shower to Dave’s room- He reaches for the door handle out of habit, then pushes when he finds the door already open.

“Shower’s-”

Dirk falls silent when he sees Rose and Dave, shooting to completely opposite sides of Dave’s bed, almost aggressively staring away from each other. Rose holds her headband in her hands, and Dave’s shades are pushed up into his hair. They look flushed and out of breath, like they’d just scaled ten sets of stairs. Dirk blinks.

“-free.”

The twins stay quiet until Rose coughs, and Dave quickly yanks his sunglasses back down before his eyes. He gets up from the bed and steps past Dirk like he’s in a hurry, mumbling a ‘thanks’ as he leaves the room. Dirk turns his head to watch him go, and then looks back to Rose, who studies her nails intently. Seconds later, Dave storms back into the room, grabs a towel from the open wardrobe, and leaves again.

“Uh.” Dirk lowers himself onto his mattress, and draws his knees up to sit in a cross-legged position. He carefully glances at Rose, but she seems set on avoiding his eyes as well. “Did you guys fight or something?”  
Rose starts, and for a moment Dirk thinks she looks surprised.  
“No.” She answers, but then she frowns and shakes her head. “Yes.”  
Dirk raises an eyebrow, even more confused than he was before (if that was at all possible). Rose tucks her hair behind her ear, and gets up from the bed. She avoids Dirk’s eyes. “I think I’ll go out and pick up some groceries.”  
“Alright.” Dirk replies carefully. “Need me to come along?”  
“No.” Rose says quickly, already halfway out the door. “No, I’ll manage. Thank you.”  
“Ok.” Dirk says, and then she’s gone.

Alone in Dave’s room, Dirk thinks to the sound of running water. A fight is the only explanation he can think of, but it just doesn’t add up. It didn’t take him longer than a day to realize the twins were close, and very comfortable around each other. What could’ve made them argue like this? Why would Rose lose her headband, and why would Dave’s shades be away from his eyes? If they’d been fighting, how come Dirk didn’t hear them shouting the moment he turned off the shower? Why were they on opposite sides of the bed, instead of opposite sides of the room, and why did Rose’s lipstick appear smeared.

The sound of water stops, and a few moments later, Dave enters the room in nothing but wide shorts. Dirk glances at his bare torso as Dave rummages around for a shirt. Dave isn’t all that muscular, but his build is lithe and toned. Dirk idly watches a few stray droplets as they slide down Dave’s back, crossing several reddened lines until they disappear into the waistband of his shorts. It’s not until Dave puts on a shirt, that Dirk realizes it were nail marks he saw.

Dirk’s lips part, as the pieces almost audibly click into place.

Oh.

That night, Dirk quietly stares up at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to Dave’s ceiling. He listens to the sound of Dave breathing, and thinks about earlier. When he walked in on Rose and Dave, he hadn’t been interrupting a fight. The faint blush on their faces hadn’t been the result of a heated argument between siblings. Not even close. First, Dirk tries to convince himself that he’s seeing things. A heat-induced mirage, a projection of wishful thinking. However, the more he recalls the events of that afternoon, the weaker his reasoning becomes, right up until the point where he finds himself admitting that yes, he walked in on his twin cousins making out, and yes, the thought alone makes the Summer heat feel chilly.

Dirk wasn’t about to deny his attraction to either of the twins. He’s been stealing glances at Dave since he opened the door for him back when Dirk first arrived, and Rose is even more magical in real life. His family has a fair number of good-looking people, so it’s not too shocking for Dirk to find this confirmed in his cousins.

Nothing could have prepared Dirk for what the two of them look like together, though. Not nearly identical, but the subtle differences between them only add to the appeal of their similarity. The way Dave looks at Rose when she talks, the gentle touches of Rose’s hand to Dave’s knee, shoulder, lower back. They never seem to need many words to communicate, just glances and gestures, but when they do talk, their voices sound so perfect together that it’s like listening to music. To even imagine the sight of them in lip lock, to think of what their breaths would sound like heavy and mingled- it sends shivers down Dirk’s spine.

He carefully turns to glance at Dave, and startles slightly when he finds him staring back.

“Can’t sleep?” Dave says, and Dirk nods. Dave snorts. “What’s new.”  
“What about you?” Dirk asks, steadying his voice. Dave rolls onto his back, and stares up at the ceiling.  
“Same I guess. It’s too hot to sleep.”  
“Yeah.” Dirk studies Dave, the way the sheets are pulled up to about his hips, how he brings his hands behind his head, how his chest heaves when he sighs deeply. He shouldn’t ask, he knows he shouldn’t, but the words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. “Is Rose dating someone?”

+

Dave nearly chokes on his own tongue when he hears Dirk’s question. He tries to play it cool, forces on his poker face and smoothes the shock from his voice before he answers.

“Why. What are you asking me for.”  
“Curious, I guess.”

Dave frowns, though he knows Dirk can’t see it.

“So why don’t you ask Rose. You two seem close.” Dave tries not to sound bitter.  
“Not as close as you.” Dirk replies flatly. Dave tenses up.  
“Yeah well it’s not like she tells me everything.” Dave replies quickly. “Besides even if she did it’d be rude of me to just broadcast that shit around like the six o’clock news.”  
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”  
“Anyway I’m tired as fuck I’m gonna sleep now. See you tomorrow.”  
“Night.”

Dave exhales slowly, and prays Dirk didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. He turns his back towards his cousin, and stares at the wall, eyes wide open. Dirk doesn’t know. He _can’t_ know, he and Rose got away from each other in time. Rose said Dirk thought the two of you were fighting, and that she confirmed it. He doesn’t know. There’s no way he’d know.

TG: he knows oh god rose he knows  
TT: Dave?  
TG: god help us all  
TT: Dave, what are you on about.  
TG: how could this happen  
TT: Dave.  
TG: i had such a full life ahead of me  
TT: Dave, stop talking.  
TG: im not even legal yet  
TG: ok  
TG: ok i stopped  
TT: Good. Take a deep breath.  
TG: ok  
TG: yeah ok  
TT: Now, in clear words please.  
TT: What happened?  
TG: dirk knows were doing things  
TG: things that arent in the twins job description  
TT: Dave, we already discussed this.  
TT: It was a close call, but we’re safe.  
TT: Dirk assumed we had an argument. That’s all.  
TG: not anymore rose i dont know what happened but  
TG: he definitely knows  
TT: What makes you think that he does?  
TG: he asked me if you were dating  
TT: Oh.  
TT: When?  
TG: last night  
TT: What did you say?  
TG: i didnt say anything i told him to ask you if he wanted to know  
TG: and then i pretended to go to sleep but im pretty sure he wasnt convinced by my fake snoring  
TG: that guy sees through everything rose its terrifying  
TT: Dave, no one would be convinced by your fake snoring.  
TT: All jokes aside, though.  
TT: Are you certain he wasn’t just curious?  
TG: thats what he told me but i dont know rose  
TG: he was looking at me like  
TG: the same way you look at me when you know something i dont  
TT: Hm.  
TG: is it bad  
TG: its bad isnt it  
TT: Possibly.  
TG: oh god i knew it he knows  
TG: its all over now  
TG: goodbye sweet world  
TT: There’s no need to write a will yet.  
TT: We don’t know anything with certainty.  
TG: play drop it like its hot on my funeral please  
TT: You aren’t helping our case.  
TG: what case  
TG: seriously what case  
TG: dirk knows we played tonsil hockey while he was in the shower  
TG: what if he knows about the other times too  
TG: what if he knew all along  
TG: oh god  
TT: That would actually be a good sign.  
TG: what  
TG: pardon my french but how the FUCK would that be a good sign  
TT: Well, it doesn’t seem like he’s told on us yet.  
TT: If he knew, yet decided to keep it to himself, it’s very unlikely that he intends to give us away.  
TG: oh  
TG: are you sure  
TT: No.  
TG: fuck  
TG: so what do we do  
TG: run away  
TG: emigrate  
TG: can we go to hawaii lets go to hawaii  
TG: or spain  
TG: incest is legal in spain  
TT: We’re not going to Spain, Dave.  
TG: then what do we do  
TG: im too young to go to jail  
TT: No one’s going to jail.  
TT: We talk to Dirk, and try to determine exactly how much he knows.  
TG: great and how are we gonna do that  
TG: hey dirk did you see us macking on each other or  
TT: I think I’ve got an idea.  
TG: that makes me feel so much better you have no idea  
TT: It’ll be fine, Dave.  
TT: Trust me.  
TG: i just sighed so hard the house shook a little did you feel it  
TG: shit dirks back i gotta go  
TG: why does he shower so fast goddamn  
TG: catch you later sis  
TT: Yes. See you.

Dave is so nervous around Dirk, that he’s got no energy left for his usual glaring. In fact, he finds himself striking up conversations with his cousin, albeit jittery and full of awkward laughter. They talk about music, strifing, movies (though Dave does most of the talking), and find out that they actually do have a lot in common. It’s no more than a little distraction from Dave’s concerns. Dirk doesn’t seem to act any different than he did before, but it doesn’t do much to reassure Dave. He’s walking on eggshells, and despite Rose’s warnings that they have to appear as natural as possible, Dave can’t help jumping whenever she lays a hand on him. He has a hard time falling asleep as well, constantly replaying the scene in his head and trying to pinpoint what exactly Dirk has seen. Sometimes, he imagines Dirk had been standing by the door the whole time, and his stomach turns with fear, as well as something he can’t quite put his finger on. Probably more fear. Terror. He hasn’t been this scared since he almost got caught sleeping in Rose’s room last Summer.

Dave doesn’t know how Rose does it, but she’s somehow keeping herself together. Her attitude seems as unaltered as Dirk’s, and it’s a bit unsettling for Dave to think he’s the only one freaking out about this. However, when Dirk looks away, Rose bites her lip, or tugs at the hem of her skirt. Dave knows she’s just as worried as he is, but he prefers to believe Rose is in total control of the situation (without that, Dave probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at all).

+

It’s been five days since Dirk walked in on the twins, and Rose has been biding her time. She’s been waiting for an opportune moment to get more information without rising suspicion, but it’s turning out to be a lot harder than she had hoped. With Dave and Dirk (finally) bonding a little, the three of them are spending more time together, and it’s all on such a casual notice that Rose can’t really bring up anything that could lead to questions about their love lives. Any attempt of hers just drifts off into idle conversation.

TT: Hello Dirk, are you still out with Dave?  
TT: Yeah, it’s mad busy for whatever reason.  
TT: Well, it’s a Friday.  
TT: I guess. What’s up?  
TT: We ran out of tea, could you bring some?  
TT: Sure. Any preference?  
TT: Anything with jasmine would be wonderful.  
TT: Got it.  
TT: Thank you.  
TT: Hey, Rose?  
TT: Yes?  
TT: Is Dave alright?

Rose holds her breath.

TT: Why do you ask?  
TT: I don’t know, he’s just been acting weird lately.  
TT: He’s fluttering around me like I’m his goddamn senpai, but every time I look at him he nearly yells in fear.  
TT: Might just be me.  
TT: Perhaps.  
TT: Did I do something wrong?  
TT: No. I can assure you Dave is fine.  
TT: Right.  
TT: If you say so.  
TT: Trust me, there’s no one who knows him better.  
TT: Yeah.  
TT: Not doubting that.  
TT: Gotta check out now. Later.

Dirk disconnects before Rose can reply. She stares at the screen of her phone, slight horror on her face, and takes a deep breath before she sends Dave a text message.

TT: Much as I hate to admit it, you were right.  
TT: He knows.

It takes a moment before Dave replies; he’s probably busy packing away groceries.

TG: what

Rose sighs deeply, and puts her phone down. So much for a subtle approach. She thinks for a moment, and sends Dave another message.

TT: Come to my room when you get back.  
TT: Without Dirk.  
TG: what no  
TG: thatll just make him even more suspicious  
TT: It no longer matters. He knows.  
TT: We have to discuss what we’re going to do with this information.  
TG: god  
TG: ok yeah sure whatever

Later, Dave and Rose are on the floor of Rose’s room, leaning their backs against each other, staring at their pulled up knees. Dave holds Rose’s hand, Rose rests her head back against Dave’s shoulder.

“What did you tell him?” Rose asks softly. She doesn’t expect Dirk to be at the door, but she’s cautious regardless.  
“That it’s a twin thing.” Dave replies. He snorts. “You should’ve seen the look on his face.”  
“I think I can imagine it rather vividly.” Rose says, smiling as well. “We’ve found ourselves in quite the predicament.”  
“Tell me about it.” Dave sighs, squeezing his sister’s hand gently.

It’s quiet for a while, the two of them just sitting together as if a solution to their problem will drop from the sky at any moment. Then, Rose speaks up.

“Let’s tell him”  
“What.”

Rose shifts, and turns around, resting her chin on Dave’s shoulder. Her arms wrap around his chest.

“Let’s tell him.” She repeats.  
“Is the stress finally getting to you?” Dave asks, only half-joking. Rose shakes her head; he feels her soft hair brush against his cheek.  
“I’m serious.”  
“I was afraid of that.” Dave says, and he sighs. “Think it’ll be ok?”  
“I don’t know.” Rose admits. “But he hasn’t told on us yet. By now, I don’t think he will.”  
“What if he does though.”  
“We can deal with that when it happens.”  
“Yeah. In jail.”  
Rose chuckles. “Isn’t this similar to when you told me how you felt about me?”

Dave pauses. “Well, yeah, but that’s different.”  
“How is it different?”  
“The risk was worth the gain.”  
Rose smiles at this, and presses a soft kiss to Dave’s jaw.  
“There may be gain in this, as well. I’ve seen you looking.”  
Dave huffs. “Yeah well I wasn’t the only one.” He frowns at her, then sighs again, reluctant. “I don’t know Rose.”  
“There’s no point lying about it. Sooner or later he’s going to ask. We may as well tell him before he leaves us no choice.”  
“I guess you’re right.”  
“Oh Dave,” Rose says sweetly, and she nuzzles his earlobe. “That shouldn’t surprise you anymore.”

+

Dirk emerges from the shower to find a note on his mattress. He picks it up, and looks over it to find messily scribbled words, telling him to go to the roof. Dirk frowns, and gets out his phone.

TT: Dave, did you leave that note?

Dirk looks up as he hears Dave’s phone buzz, and sees his cousin left it on his bed. He never leaves his phone behind. Not yet discouraged, Dirk tries Rose’s number next.

TT: Rose, you there?

No reply. Dirk puts his phone away with a heavy sigh, and closes the door behind him as he heads up the stairs. He’s not sure why, but he feels nervous, and this secrecy wasn’t helping at all. Did the twins figure out he knows what happened that one afternoon? Do they know he’s been looking at them, know that he’s been hoping to catch them again? He should’ve put more effort into hiding it, he realizes as he scales the steps towards the roof, but it’s too late for that now. Dirk pushes the heavy door open, hoping for the best.

Dirk’s breath catches in his throat at the sight he’s presented with.

Rose and Dave are on the center of the roof. Dave’s hands are on Rose’s hips, Rose’s arms are laced around Dave’s neck. Her head is tipped back the slightest bit, and Dave is leaning down a little. They’re kissing, Dirk realizes with a start, and he can’t bring himself to take another step forward, so he just stares at them, stupefied. Rose nips at Dave, and he tilts his head, working her mouth open with insistent pressure of his tongue to her lips. It’s like Rose allows Dave to deepen the kiss instead of giving in to him, and Dirk feels his face grow hot.

He doesn’t know how long he’s been standing there, but by the time the twins part, sunset has painted the sky purple, orange and red. When Rose looks at him, her gaze hot and heavy, Dirk resists the urge to take a step back. His mind races for something to say, but Dave does it for him.

“Hey.”  
Dave’s lips look a bit redder, and his eyes are dark. His shades are in his hair again, and Dirk swallows. “Hey.”  
Rose takes it from there. “You knew, didn’t you?”  
Dirk nods carefully. “Yeah. Sorry.”  
“Do you mind?” She continues.  
“No.” Dirk coughs, feeling like he answered that question a bit too fast. “No, I mean, I don’t mind.”  
Dave relaxes visibly, and Dirk thinks he hears a whisper of ‘thank fucking god’ flow from his lips. Rose just smiles, and the longer Dirk looks at her, the more he finds himself smiling as well.

+

Dave comes back onto the roof carrying a couple of blankets and a bottle of soda. Rose takes the bottle as Dave tosses the blankets on the gravel, and unceremoniously drops himself down.

“View’s good, isn’t it.” Dave calls to Dirk, who is leaning against the metal fence surrounding the roof’s edges, looking out over the city. He turns at Dave’s voice, and approaches the mess of blankets, taking the soda from Rose when she offers it to him.  
“Yeah.” Dirk says, sitting down with them. Rose leans back on her hands, and stares at the slowly darkening sky.  
“We used to come up here a lot in the Summer.” She says, a bit melancholic. Dave pulls a face.  
“Yeah and we’d get eaten alive by mosquitoes. Good times.”  
“Sounds it.” Dirk says, and they laugh.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Rose starts, and Dave gives her a warning look (which she ignores completely). “What gave it away?”  
Dirk looks at Dave, who raises an eyebrow, kind of curious himself. Dirk runs a hand through his hair.  
“The nail marks on Dave’s back.”  
Dave’s mouth falls open. He hadn’t even thought of that.  
“So you didn’t actually see,”  
Dirk shakes his head.  
“I wasn’t sure until I saw you’d been scratched up.” Dirk glances at Rose, who looks away, a smug smile playing around her lips. Dave groans.  
“Un fucking believable.”  
“So,” Rose begins again, and now both boys eye her warily. Her eyes sparkle. “What did you think? I assume you weren’t appalled, as you didn’t go to our parents with this information.”  
Dirk considers asking her what it is she’s getting at, but he knows exactly what she’s getting at. Now it’s Dave who’s looking away, and Dirk clears his throat.  
“Uh. All sorts of things.”  
“Such as?” She presses.  
Dave groans again, and lets himself fall back onto the blankets. Dirk smiles sheepishly.  
“That you look good together.”

Rose clicks her tongue.  
“Just good?”  
“Jesus Christ Rose.” Dave interjects.  
“Would you rather ask him, then?”  
“That’s not what I’m saying, God, what happened to your subtlety.”  
“I think I misplaced it around the same time we decided to let Dirk walk in on us again.”  
“You. You decided.”  
“You agreed.”  
“Oppression. Just face it you’ve been wanting in his pants since he got here.”  
“And you’ve been attracted to him since you began stalking his Facebook profile.”  
“I didn’t stalk him oh my God.”  
“It wouldn’t surprise me if you’ve saved some of the pictures. Have you?”  
“Stop talking. Just, stop talking.”

Dirk feels his body temperature rising with every sentence the twins exchange. He had no idea. Here he’s been trying to keep his interest on the down low, only to find they’d been just as interested in him. It’s almost surreal. Dirk watches Rose as she leans over Dave, and presses a soft kiss to his lips which he begrudgingly returns. When she pulls herself back up, her eyes are on Dirk. He swallows, and glances at Dave. Rose notices, and smiles.

“It’s alright.” She says, and Dirk looks back at her, dead silent. She scoots towards him, and sits in front of him propped up on her knees. “Don’t you want to?” She asks, but her eyes show she already knows the answer.  
“Yeah.” Dirk breathes out, a single hand reaching up to gently cup the side of Rose’s face. She leans into his touch, and closes her eyes. When Dirk looks at Dave again, he finds him sitting up a little, ruby eyes fixed on them both. Dirk slides his fingers down Rose’s jaw, tips her chin up a little, and brings their lips together in a careful kiss.

Rose’s lips are even softer than he imagined. He pulls back quickly, hesitant, and he glances at Dave again, worried. Rose takes Dirk’s face in her hands, turns him back towards her, and pulls him into another kiss. Dirk hears Dave breathe in sharply, he feels Rose’s mouth hot against his own, and he closes his eyes in surrender.

She kisses him deeply, and when she pulls back, Dave is right there. Dirk tries to calm his heartbeat as Dave all but attacks Rose’s lips, instantly slipping his tongue past her teeth as if he’s trying to prove something. Rose meets his advances with equal fervor, and Dirk startles himself with the low moan that sounds in the back of his throat. It draws the twins apart, and then both their gazes are on Dirk, and he nearly shudders. Rose sneaks around him, her hands sliding up Dirk’s back to his shoulders, higher until her fingers rub gently at the back of his neck. She edges him forward, towards Dave- Dirk exhales, grabs a hold of Dave’s hair, and pulls him in.

Dave’s kiss is different from Rose’s, more urgent, needy, but just as hot. Dirk relishes in the gasp he drags from Dave’s lips when he takes control of their contact, but when he feels Rose’s lips to the side of his neck, he finds himself short of air as well. Dirk tries to withdraw, but Dave isn’t ready to let him go yet, and moves in closer. Their kiss is heated but Rose’s touches mellow them both down into a more languid pace, until both Dirk and Dave feel fingers against their lips and open their eyes to see Rose beside them, cheeks flushed and eyes dark.

They guide her in between them both, her back pressed against Dave’s chest, her teeth against Dirk’s throat. Dirk steals another kiss from Dave, and Dave’s hands wander. His fingers slide up Rose’s waist, and she shivers- Dirk gently breaks from Dave to catch her parted lips with his own, as Dave covers her neck with open-mouthed kisses. They are a mess of shaky breaths, a tangle of tongues and touches, and it feels so right, so good, that each of them wonders how they’ve lived without it.

It’s Dirk who suggests they go back inside, before the twin’s parents come to fetch them. They end up in Dave’s room, barely keeping their hands to themselves long enough to shut the door behind them. Around bedtime Rose pretends to leave, but she sneaks back less than ten minutes later, and is welcomed by two warm bodies pressing her up against the door. They kiss until their lungs give in, they touch until it gets too hot to bear. Then, they are a pile of limbs, legs tangled and arms embracing, soft breathing and occasional yawns as the only sounds against the constant whirring of the fan.

“I’m not sure what the hell just happened.” Dave says softly. It’s dark in his room, and the three of them are counting the stars stuck to Dave’s ceiling in nothing but their underwear. Rose chuckles, Dirk feels her arm brush against his.  
“Imagine how I feel.” Dirk comments, and Dave snorts.  
“I imagine you feel saved from a particularly arduous Summer.” Rose adds, and Dirk nods. Rose reaches for Dirk’s hand at the same time Dave does, and Dirk brings them both up to his chest so that the three of them are touching. The first fragments of birdsong sound from outside the open window. Dirk closes his eyes.

“Absolutely.”

_-fin_


End file.
